Welcome to the Madhouse
by EmmyTheDerp
Summary: Katy Grey has been admitted into Arkham Asylum over a tragic, shaky mental breakdown. She's not that crazy, right? Who knew she'd became fast friends with the two villainesses that every Gothamite knew and feared, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. (OC Character, don't read if you don't like)
1. Welcome to Arkham

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I do not own DC Comics, Arkham Asylum, or their characters Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. However, I do own my character, Katy.

**Author's Notes:** So, this is my first ever fanfiction, so if it is really sucky, my apologies. I've always liked Harley and Ivy's team ups in the Batman Cartoons, their dynamic is just so interesting. So, I created my own OC, and threw her into the middle of their team. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The walls of Arkham were so bland. The entire place was a massive mood dampener, but well, to be fair, what was expected of an insane asylum in the most gothic city on the planet?

The stench of mildew wafted from every direction, along with a mixture of chemicals and body odor.

Also, would it kill them to get some decent lighting around here? Dinky little ceiling lamps flickered weakly above, they were the only source of light besides the eerie, weak glow emitting from each cell passed. Through the glass, Katy was able to observe one crazy after another.

Catcalls flowed down the corridor she marched down, the men, which were like... ninety percent of the entire asylum, pressed grubby faces to the panels to watch her pass. Some were even licking the clear surface, creating disgusting smudges that blurred their image.

_God, why me?_

_Uhhh.. because you're a nut case like everyone other idiot here._

_Oh, shut up, I am as sound-minded as ever._

_Says the person arguing with herself._

Her sudden halt and growl of defiance must have startled the twitchy guard trailing behind her, she sensed him flinch. The nose of the nightstick he wielded poked the small of her back.

"What's the problem?" He grunted, going for macho-tough-guy-you-don't-scare-me, but failing miserably. His expression was tighter than a scrunched up slinky.

Katy cast an amused glance over her shoulder, lips pursed. How pathetic. He was surely stronger than her in brawn, he held the weapons, a button that would call a mob of backup, and still frightened by a small woman at least a hundred pounds lighter than him.

"Nothing, nothing, just thinking to myself. You know, the usual, imagining seven different ways to kill you with a roll of toilet paper." It was a hollow threat, the only way she could really muster up with Death-By-Toilet-Paper was shoving it down someone's esophagus. The girl gave her thin shoulders a shrug, as if it was the most casual conversation ever, eyes lifted upward as if saying, _can you believe this guy?_

To her delight, the guard's coffee brown eyes grew wide as an owl's, his hand gripping the weapon handle so hard his knuckles flushed ghostly white.

"Well... have fun with _that_ in your cell, where you'll have plenty of time to plan." Roughly, he thrust the nightstick forward, urging Katy to move on.

"Sounds like a plan." She grumbled dryly, hands sliding down to even out the wrinkles that had formed in the coarse fabric of the asylum outfit she'd been forced into. Literally.

Padding forward, she couldn't help but notice a hulking silhouette housed in a strangely large cell, his chest was massive, rippling with muscle. His skin.. it was grey, flecked here and there with small bumps that she suspected must be scales.

Nearing the cell, Katy was able observe the creature a bit more thoroughly. Nearly yelping like a startled cat, her wide celery green eyes flittered nervously over him. The man's-well... was he? His lower jaw jutted forward like a bulldog's under bite, a vicious row of yellow teeth protruding over his upper lip.

It was like something you'd see in a monster movie. Despite the heavy aura of authority rolling off the intimidating convict, Katy tilted her head back toward the distant cell, slowing her pace a bit.

"Say, what's Godzilla doing in Arkham Asylum?"

Her teasing was answered by a low rumbling snarl, the large mitts of reptile man clenching.

Huffing Katy continued on down the hall, smugly praising her wit inwardly. _You're going to need a lot more than wit to keep yourself in one piece here, Katy._

Desperately trying to ignore the hungry and lustful stares, creepy looks, and crude comments that followed her down the painfully long walk, Katy exhaled, exasperated.

"Please tell me there are _some_ women here? I'd make friends with an ugly or cannibal if those are the only options." Not moving her gaze from a fixed point at the bend in the hallway where two turns branched off, she waited for an answer.

The man snorted, very gentlemanly.

"The _only_ two women here are ones you'd be better off with staying away from. I wouldn't touched them with a 10 foot pole." His voice nearly cracked, which would have been hilarious.

Her flat-footed, plain white patient shoes thumping almost soundlessly on the cement flooring, a wry smile quirked the edges of Katy's black-lipstick covered lips.

"Lovely, those are my kind of people." Halting at the end of the hallway, the girl tilted her head side to side, indicating she wasn't sure of which way to continue. Her black ponytail swished along with the movement.

"Left." The man barked his larger figure looming closer. Katy recoiled, bleh, she was starting idle chit-chat with this guy, nothing more, thank you.

This one seemed... stricter. The earlier ones she had slunk through was occupied with a single guard on his post, with the common taser, nightstick, and gun.

This one had three, each with faces like a pile of bricks and shoulders as broad as an ox's. One had an impressive scar tainting the right side of his face, curling at the edge of his squared jaw. The marine-style haircut did nothing to help soften the look.

Katy, head tilting for one last look, sneered in distaste.

I suppose beautiful asylum inmates didn't give him a second glance often, his start and astonished expression forced her to suppress a hysterical burst of laughter.

They were nearing the end of the hall, the furthest cell to her right was pitch-black dark, unoccupied. Opposite of that one, however, sparkled with the pale luminous glow of a lonesome ceiling lamp.

"_Ooooh_, looky Red! Another chick, finally!" That voice, it was high, thick with a Brooklyn accent. Katy had a feeling its owner the most annoying chatter box in world history.

Searching for the source, the man's droned out command to stop was merely a blur to Katy. On her left, a petite woman with straw-blonde hair pulled into two childish pigtails stood with both palms splayed on the cell's observing glass. Her red lips were formed into a rather friendly grin, or maybe it was a demented one, who knew anymore?

Racking her brain, attempting to match a face with a name, a smooth, seducing voice behind her derailed whatever train of thought she had going.

The magnetized lock on her own cell's door clicking into place, Katy had scarcely noticed sliding into the cramped little room. Her attention was totally captivated by the other woman.

"Hah, right Harley, I wonder what she did to get throw into the Looney House."

She was gorgeous, ( not that Katy swung that way ) with generous curves like a supermodel and an intelligent face. What was the most noticable, her flowing blood red hair; but... the woman's skin was pale, with a green tint. Katy realized there were several small plant bulbs and vines encircling her arms, neck, and ankles. Her eyes were a very washed out jungle green color.

Plant Lady was an appropriate title.

Leaned against one wall of her cell, green lady crossed her arms over her chest, regarding Katy like an interesting specimen to dissect.

"So, what's your name little flower?" Muffled by the brick wall separating the two, a giggle sounded to her right in the blonde's cell.

_Little flower? _

Lip shifting to the side a bit, one brow lowered, she replied:

"I'm Katy. What do I call you? Blondie's Harley, right? She seems familiar..." Shifting her weight into another foot, Katy raised a forefinger to tap the center of her chin.

Her snide answer was rewarded by the red-head with a sly, faint smile. However, before she could oblige, Harley interrupted in that cheerful tone of hers.

"Harley _Quinn_, pleased to metcha!" Katy could imagine her pleasant smile.

Plant Lady gave her head an elegant not, if nods could be elegant. Her hair bounced gracefully.

"Just call me Poison Ivy." Ahhh, a bit better than Plant Lady, but kinda the same.

"Neat. I suppose I'll make myself comfortable." Rocking back on her heels in the dreadfully drab hospital shoes, Katy managed to tear her focus away from the two, and wheeled herself around to observe the cell. She could feel Ivy's green eyes piercing into her back.

Cobwebs nestled in each corner, and stuck to the small hanging lamp overhead. A very large, very _hairy_ spider rested in one, wrapping up some poor insect in a ball of white webbing. A fine layer of dust covered... well _everything_. The sheets on her bed looked rather crisp and well-cleaned, that was a plus.

"Homey." She commented flatly, easing onto the cot. Rolling her pale eyes the slightest bit, Poison Ivy retreated further into her cell.

"Eh... it's not the best, but hey, you learn to live with it." Harley chirped. Katy heard a thump, followed by a groaning squeak.

"I'm going to laugh the day that bed finally snaps off its hinges the next time you do that." Ivy muttered from the depths of her room.

"And I'll laugh along with you!" Harley retorted.

Another metallic squeak, Ivy released another heavy exhale.

Well, atleast she had a couple "interesting" people to chat with as long as she was here, which hopefully, wouldn't be long. Only about half an hour in this asylum and she already hated it. The doctors, the guards, the cells.

Drowsiness dawning on her, Katy crumpled against her bed sheets. Curling herself into a ball, she draped her arms over her knees to hug them to her chest.

What a fine and dandy mess she'd gotten sucked into this time.

Despite her violent, wicked nature, she'd never so much as hurt a fly. Killing someone was out of the question then, now... not so much.

Her fingernails- well, more like claws, had sliced that man's jugular like it was butter. She remembered blood, and lots of it. It pooled beneath his stilled chest and soaked the pale blue fabric of his Aeropostale shirt.

Blood was an odd color, dark.

Nothing had really shaken Katy up that badly. He was just some average Joe douchebag type from her Environmental Science class, with a mouth like a sailor and as lot of attitude. She lost control of her temper, the officers arrived in time to discover the girl the farthest she could get from the corpse she shared the room with, in a fetal position, whimpering like an abused puppy.

_Some hardened criminal you are._ Katy scoffed inwardly, bumping her chin to the tip of her left knee.

"Soooo, Katy was it?" The blonde's high-pitched voice stirring Katy from reminiscing, her head snapped up, instinctively craning toward the transparent observer panel.

"Why are you here? You don't look much crazy." She could practically picture Harley tilting her head sideways like a curious dog.

Brows creasing, Katy forced herself upright, resting sideways on the cot, elbow propped with her cheek cupped into her hand.

Poison Ivy had returned to edge her cell door, most likely just as interested as Harley, although lousy at showing it.

One red eyebrow arching, her voice was chilling. "Well?"

"Dunno. 'Bout the same story as everyone else in here. I killed someone, and didn't regret it. Deep psychological issues, parent troubles, blah, blah." Rolling her shoulders and sliding her eyes shut, she huffed indifferently.

"Hmm. How'd you kill whoever you offed?" Harley's calm, level reply surprised Katy. To be fair, she was a full-blown-murderer-psycho path clown girl. Who could blame her?

Despite Harley not being able to see them, Katy shuffled so that both hands could be held forward, fingers splayed, revealing the sharp tips of her nails.

"These, my.. claws." Something dark was wedged under both index nails, a peculiar brown, dried blood. A tremor shuddered down Katy's spine.

"Really? You have claws, what's that all ab-" Ivy's silky voice cut in, one greenish hand balanced on a tilted hip.

"You're wearing an inhibitor collar?"

"She is?" Soft foot steps slapped onto the hard floor in the next room. "I hadn't noticed before."

Grumbling under her breath, Katy flopped her limbs back into the bed spread, resisting the urge to paw ineffectively at the cold metal ringlet that had been clamped around her neck. A low energy pulsed from it, flushing the skin where it touched. The single red bulb on the collar was glowing, proof that it was activated. No shape shifting here anytime soon.

"I'm a shape shifter." Here comes the next wave of obnoxious, prying questions. You can make yourself look like anyone? Ooo, how about Taylor Swift, Orlando Bloom? Change into Justin Beiber! Can you be animals too? Turn into a fuzzy koala! Hah, no.

Daring to meet the red-head's plain stare, Katy was pleasantly surprised when she didn't push any further.

"Hmm, neat. Kinda like that kid, what's-his-face, Beast Lad?" Harley's voice was chipper, clearer too, maybe she had her face smushed into the cold brick wall to help.

"Beast Boy, Harls." Ivy corrected, hands raising to brush away some invisible fluff only she seemed to see on her Arkham-issued bland white shirt.

Having nothing more to say, Katy returned to her previous position, forehead creased.

"Yea. Kinda like that."

Somehow, someway she'd have to get rid of this pesky collar, then the real fun could start.


	2. Dr Letoski

"Ms. Grey, welcome. How has your day been so far?"

First session with her psychologist, he was here to "help" her. Katy had to admit, he was high-class eye-candy, but as annoying as hell.

Dr. Letoski, a no-nonsense business type guy with neatly combed brown hair, a bit of stubble, and baby-blue eyes as crystal as a clear water pond. The rims of his glasses hung precariously from the bridge of his nose, obviously he didn't _need_ them, I suppose they kept up the smart guy image.

He was seated in center of the bland session room, hands folded in his lap, hovering over a tablet. Not pens or pencil in sight, nothing to drive through that terribly beautiful face, darn her luck.

A firm guard's hand on each shoulder, Katy was shuffled into the musky space, nose wrinkling as the girl gave him a scrutinizing once over.

"Well, considering it's still morning and I haven't had much time to screw it up yet, Just. _Peachy_." Hissing the last couple words through her teeth, the two guard's hands clenched, shoving her downward into the uncomfortable ancient leather loveseat placed a safe distance from the doctor's small wooden desk.

Unfazed by her venomous demeanor, Dr. Letoski simply flashed a tiny smile, hand gliding toward his face to collect those useless reading glasses and set them on the surface of his table.

"How are you settling in then, Ms. Grey?"

Metal clanked close to the floor, a heavy weight made her ankle sag, lugging it downward so that her foot was flat to the tile. A weight, chained to the sofa.

"For the umpteenth time, it's Katy. Don't talk to me with that Ms. crap." Upper lip curling to emphasize her sneering, her loose dark hair swished methodically as she glared at the retreating guards. One of them, his nametag read Larry, paused at the door frame.

"Just yell-if you can, if you need us. You know where the panic button is."

The doctor replied with a bob of his head, a gentle glint beneath his light eyes.

"If that's what you wish to be called, alright Katy. May I ask you a question?" He retrieved a rubber-tipped stylus from a concealed pocket inside his white lab-coat styled jacket, a keypad and notebook document appearing on the screen of his device.

Jutting her lower lip forward, the girl's pale green eyes rolled.

"You just did." She countered matter-of-factly, slumping limply into the hard surface of the couch. Attempting to lift her legs up to pull her knees toward her, the ankle weight kept her left foot planted heavily onto the floor.

Dr. Letoski puffed softly, perhaps a small chuckle. He certainly was smiling. His grip on the pen tightened.

"I meant a few about yourself. How was your childhood?"

Quiet, orderly, boring. Katy had been a withdrawn kid, she didn't have many friends, well... none for that matter. But, her father had loved her, that's all that she cared about nowadays.

"Plain." She replied, her utterly unamused face stone cold, piercing the doctor's kind and irritatingly understanding manner.

Letoski tapped a couple words into his tablet's keyboard, "Could I have a bit more details on that?" He pried again, tearing his focus away from whatever he'd just typed.

Jaw tensing, Katy swore she felt her right eye twitch angrily cartoon-style.

"What sort of details?" _Two can play at this game, handsome._

Still as collected as ever, the doctor gave his head a small lop-sided shake, as if thinking up what he wished to know.

"How was your relationship with your parents?" He settled with at last, soft gaze darting up and down her face, searching for a reaction.

Let's just say, Katy had the potential to be an excellent poker player, her expression remained blank, shooting the message, _I would kill you all if I could._

"My mother died a couple years after I was born. My father was a caring man."

Letoski rapped excitedly on his tablet, his pen moved rapidly, jotting down the notes on the digital paper.

Finished at last, Katy sank further into the hard leather seat, huffing indignantly. How was spilling her personal life and gushy feelings all over the place a next step to "rehabilitation"? Because sure, her kind was all about patching things up and forgetting old, murderous ways.

"Do you have any distinct memories of him you'd like to share?" Lots and lots. Her father had always been... _there_. She clung to him like a starving leech back then.

"I remember the day he disowned me." Her voice had reached that dangerously low tone, daring the doctor to strike a nerve, providing her a reason to launch across his desk to throttle him.

"I see. Your file states that your father is Tristan Grey, correct?" Letoski didn't give her enough time to reply, he recited along, "A famed and admired lawyer of his own firm, impressive." Blue eyes shifting away from his newly acquired notes, the doctor fixed her with a questioning look.

"I take it your childhood was well-provided for and comfortable?"

The best. Anything she could ask for. Her mother's premature death had always put that shroud of sadness in the depths of her father's eyes, and Katy was like a tiny copy of his lost woman. Whatever she wanted, whatever he believed she would want, right at her feet. It wasn't all the presents that got her so attached to him, it was the thought that he loved her so dearly.

Unexpected fluid began to appear from the corners of Katy's eyes, raising the heel of her palm to swipe them away, Dr. Letoski's face twisted in pity. _Dammit, he better quit that before she had to slap it off his pretty face herself._

"You don't have to answer if it's t-"

"It's not, I'm just thinking about him. Yes, it was. How is this helping?" She stuttered hurriedly.

The man dabbled a few more words into his notes, lips pressed into a thin line.

"I'm just trying to piece together your past a bit, you know, understand your inner workings and all." Letoski lifted his gaze, one eyebrow lowered a bit, hinting for her to continue.

What a self-righteous bastard. He wasn't at all interested in "curing" her, what dear old Letoski was after, was fame. She knew his type. Her issues and his successful rehabilitation of her would be excellent material for a book. A book that would make him rich beyond his dreams.

"Why not just take an x-ray and make it a bit simpler for that tiny brain of yours, then?" Locks of tar-black hair jerking, Katy rocked closer to the doctor, a wild look of irritation hardened her glare.

Letoski jerked, his pale eyes startled for a moment before the original look of stability returned. His free hand hooked underneath the desk, most likely hovering over the bright red button that would summon the guards to return.

"You've seemed rather distraught since you arrived to Arkham, Katy." He remarked, tapping the rubber end of the pen on the hard, stained wooden table, his smooth expression soothing her frazzled nerves.

Slowly, white teeth bared, the girl eased back into the loveseat, a sour look of indignant arrogance on her face. The tips of her canine teeth, which were naturally sharpened at the points like a predator's, sparked a tendril of pain through her lower lip, a metallic-tasting liquid seeped onto her tongue.

"Oh! You noticed, Sherlock? Give this man a medal somebody, he can point out the obvious!" Katy swept her head expectantly around the bare room, both arms extended and hands spread wide. "Bravo! Braaavo!" Katy slapped her open palms together, clapping enthusiastically.

Dr. Letoski's chiseled face morphed into a small frown.

"Your file states you slipped into a state of panic after that little argument with your friend. He was found with his neck sliced, dead within minutes. Your hands were coated in blood, you were unresponsive until the emergency services were able to calm you. There isn't one little whiff of juvenile delinquent behaviors in your files, so I take it you've never killed someone, have you Katy?" The doctor rocked forward, his stylus poised and ready to record her response.

She was afraid of this place. She was frightened of the inmates that surrounded her. They all murdered willingly, without batting an eye. They caused mass destruction, enjoying it. That wasn't Katy. She didn't want to be here, classified with.. them.

Silence followed, the only noises were the occasional click of the camera hooked onto the ceiling in a corner of the session room as it turned on its axles. The girl exhaled, she could feel the burning frustration bubbling in her stomach.

"No matter how tough you try to make your outside appear, your mind seems pretty fragile and breakable.. I believe the death of that man by your hands was the last straw, your sanit-"

The devilishly handsome doctor wasn't able to continue.

Something.. something inside cracked, she felt the vibration of jumbled emotions and fury release within her. How dare he question her strength!

A screech of rage escaping her, almost inhuman, Katy felt herself lunge forward, fingers extended, claws reaching for his tender little neck.

She wasn't weak! She'd show him, his flesh would tear as easily as paper!

Yelping, Dr. Letoski tried to veer away from her swipe, her target, his throat, out of reach, she settled for the closest thing.

Nails scraped briskly across her victim's flushed pink right cheek, creating four thin red lines that immediately began trickling crimson.

"Guards!" The doctor bellowed, his rickety chair rocketing backward as he shot upright, a palm already cradling his bloody face.

Growling and snarling in vain, Katy pressed against the chains tinkling with awful squeaking sounds against its post, attempting to pounce once more on the scrambling man.

He had glued himself to the opposite wall, alarm still flashing in his eyes.

Katy leaned in as far as she could, left leg stretched out like she was doing the splits, straining to free herself. Her claws sank into the wooden desk, carving out ten neat dips in the furniture when the two men finally burst through the mighty steel door.

"Restrain her, call for a nurse for a sedation. We're done here." Dr. Letoski had salvaged whatever dignity he had left, pulling off a hard glare directed at the patient.

Her fury fueled the will power attempted to bypass the inhibitor collar's control. She wanted to shift, she wanted to change. A mountain lion perhaps, she'd used real talons on these whimpering cowards, her fangs would rip through them effortlessly. The collar released a low beep, a tiny spark of electricity, a warning, jolted her.

Releasing another deep-throated growl of protest, the first guard, Larry, overpowered her, grabbing each arm from the table; producing a horrible grinding racket until her fingers had been yanked from their scratching post, forced behind her back.

"I do hope our next session goes a bit.. calmer." Letoski muttered, retrieving his tablet from its place on the floor where it had fallen from his lap during the commotion.

Seething, Katy was torn away from her vigilant pose at the edge of Letoski's now tarnished desk, forced through the massive steel door.

A sudden sharp pain rippled through the nape of her neck, her silky hair had been parted slightly to allowed the entrance of a thin needle. The liquid pulsed into her veins felt heavy.

Perhaps now was a nice time for a nap...

Black rimming her vision, Katy slumped forward, feeling the Arkham guards supporting the girl's limp form before darkness completely overtook her.


	3. Patience

That new inmate.. for some odd reason she intrigued the redhead beyond her comprehension, pegging the former doctor's curiosity. What else was she capable of besides that sharp wit of hers?

If only that inhibitor collar was out of the picture, then she'd really be able to let loose, and who knew, her obvious, unkempt fury might spark a riot, _maaaybe_ during the commotion, Ivy and Harley could slip away unnoticed...

Pamela could feel herself slowly deteriorating each dragging day, her pale-greenish skin hungry for sunlight and fresh air. She was like a plant, a plant that was withering. Escaping from Arkham would be a saving grace, she was certain that much more of this depravity would cause her surprisingly delicate body to collapse. No matter how many people she poisoned with a simple touch, Poison Ivy was as fragile as the flowers she adored.

Grimy brick wall frigid to the touch, she pressed into it, gathering a forlorn breath.

The villainess had endured it up to here with Arkham, the disgusting atmosphere, the idiot patients, (No offense Harley) the doctors, and _ugh_, the disgusting cafeteria food. That lunch lady must enjoy the spiced up taste of her own greasy hair in each meal she served.

What Ivy wouldn't give to be in the Amazons instead. Surrounded by the beautiful tangle of nature and sweet scents of the rainforest. With a literal bed of roses to replace the cell's uncomfortable cot.

Most of all, she missed her babies. Did they long for her, trapped in that shambling old office of the abandoned Gotham Zoo? Perhaps they were as hungry for their mistress's touch as she was for theirs.

Sighing once more, Ivy slid down the filthy wall, bumping onto the hard cement floor. The (seemingly) harmless blue carnations she'd been provided with in her earlier stays at the asylum had been taken after the lethal botanist spruced up their cell structure a bit; sprouting one into a vine as thick as a Redwood tree trunk that viciously strangled a couple men like a hungry anaconda before it had been apprehended.

The remaining three flowers now rested in Harley's cell, where guided by Pamela's constant nagging, her best friend was sure to keep them in flawless condition and health. What else she wouldn't give to have _those_ back, to feel the silky texture of each leaf and vivid blue petal.

She must have been scowling quite sourly, the blonde in the cell opposite of hers was looming so close to the glass that the tip of her nose was squished into it.

"Red?" Harley quipped, arms bent backward, fingers entwined with each other. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Titling her chin upward, Pam's emerald eyes softened, grateful to get her mind off wishing for those darned plants.

"Of course, Harls." Lifting a green-skinned palm, Ivy stroked it down her fair face, brushing off the weariness and hopelessness Arkham was dumping into her arms.

"I'm thinking about the rookie," The redhead motioned in the direction of Katy's vacant cell, flittering weakly with the fluorescent glow of the light bulbs inside.

Harley straightened herself, pigtails swishing on either side of her head.

"If we can somehow manage kill the signal of the collars, perhaps she'd been grateful enough to provide a decent distraction to allow us escape. She is a shape -shifter like Clayface, after all." Scarlet red lips pursing, Ivy rested her cheek into the open hand propped on one knee.

"I am good at killing things.." Harley began, pointer fingernail clamped between her front teeth. "I do believe I recall seeing something like that in ol' Jeremiah's office."

Ivy perked up, lips parted, focus locked on the pondering blonde, who usually wasn't able to offer much more advice for solving a problem other than shooting whatever was causing the issue.

"What did it look like Harley?" She pried, curling and uncurling her slender fingers with bottled agitation.

"It was way back when I was still a psychiatrist here, he invited me to his office for a short meeting.. and I noticed this little console thingy blinking with a lot of red lights. Its switch was pushed over onto the ON side." A malicious grin was gradually forming on the woman's face, her baby blue eyes growing wide with increasing triumphant.

"Yes! I remember! I asked him about it and he mentioned something about suppressing meta-human DNA, yak, yak, yak. We've gotta get into his office, Red!" Waving her arms frantically, Harley bounced on the balls of her feet, squealing with delight.

Ivy barley had enough time to jab both index fingers into her own ears, blocking out the high pitched racket that could bring a grown man to his knees.

"Cut it out down there!" An enraged, deep voice roared close by.

"First need to talk with the kid about this little arrangement..." The green-skinned woman's smooth voice faltered off abruptly, drowned out by the heavy thump of boots on Arkham's rough floors. The sounds bounced sluggishly over the tightly-packed walls of the hallway, heading in the two villainess's direction.

It surely was the girl in question, returning from her first session, lovely. Maybe she hadn't already gouged the doctor's eyes out with a spoon, and would be in the mood for a little chat.

A smug grin found itself on the usually stone-faced asylum patient's mouth.

Harley, obviously anticipating the same, flashed Pamela a red-lipped smile, showing a double thumbs up through the clear panel she hovered in front of.

The two women's plans however, were put on hold.

A familiar face, Larry, possibly the only guard that's survived the longest or hasn't quit yet, gripped one arm. The other man, just some neanderthal face that muscled the inmates around, supported the other.

The raven-haired girl lolled passively between the two, her eyelids fluttering feverishly. Wood stains coated the tips of her claws, and a narrow trail of blood trickled across her bottom lip.

Poison Ivy's little flicker of hope vanished like the snap of someone's fingers.

Larry, shifting the weight of Katy's right side over to be supported fully by the second guard, slid a keycard from the band of his belt, swiping it through the small cleft on the door's lock. It produced a low beep.

"Aww, Shucks." The clown princess cursed, her bright mood visibly deflating as the men hauled their neighbor's unconscious body into shadows the dreary cell. Katy was placed onto her empty cot with a muffled thud.

_Well there goes that for now._ Slumping back into the solid brick wall, Ivy gritted her teeth irritably, observing the unfolding scene through heartless, narrowed eyes.

The girl would be out of it for hours, maybe even longer considering her small stature. A drug of the likes they must have injected into her could knock over a bull elephant in minutes.

_So, patience now, that's alright. I can be patient. I've got all the time in the world to wait._


	4. Good ol' Jeremiah

"...much longer?"

A feminine voice drilled irritably, as if she'd provided an answer to that particular question numerous times already.

"...would I know? She's... more... few hours."

Katy balanced on the thin line of conciouness and not, the conversation barely audiable.

Her entire body felt unnaturally heavy and sluggish, an icy drag drifting through her veins. The drug. God, it felt awful.

The harsh stench of blench and stark burned her nose, each feeble breath drawing the powerful scent back into her lungs.

A weak cough racked her heaving chest while Katy got her bearings.

Slowly but surely, the numbness in Katy's limbs melted away, knuckles popping when she curled both hands into fists. They pressed into the rough fabric of her cot, arms as wobbly as jello when the girl attempted to lift herself.

The movement brough on a fresh wave of nausea, the world began to dip and turn before her.

A large intake of breath from her right. "Red, is that Katy? She's waking up?"

"Yes Harley..." Ivy replied in that breathy tone of hers.

Katy was almost certain her face was flushing a green similiar in shade to the redhead's skin.

"Take it easy there, they pricked you with enough of the stuff to stop a stampeding cattle herd." Was it her drowsy mind playing tricks or did Ivy's sootheing sound a bit motherly?

"How ya feeling?" The blonde's chiding seemed way far off, Katy, however, too concentrated on not loosing whatever lunch she had left in her stomach to answer. _Awful._

"Give her some time to get together, Harls." The white, fuzzy haze around her eyes was clearing at last, revealing the dank and dark walls of her cell.

Katy, leaned face-first, her arms crossed beneath her as a makeshift pillow, had her front half collasped on the wobbling cot; unable to stop the groan of protest her pounding head brought on.

Dark hair a messy halo sprawled onto the pathetic little bed, Katy managed to lift her head, bringing up a hand to shove away the bangs that hung limply to her forehead.

What had happened exactly?

Apparently she'd been sedated, but what for...?

The last thing she could recall was that darn Dr. Letoski's sincere face, but.. then something happened. His lovely features had been scarred up with four neat claw marks...

"If you don't mind me asking.. how'd you manage to get needled during your first ever psychologist session?" Whoa. Harley's voice appeared to be coming from right in front of her..

It was. A loose gothic-grey brick had disappeared from its place inside the wall, her fellow inmate's face peered through the opening.

A pale brown brow was arched, some sort of half-grimance on her face. Katy could tell she was holding back another million questions.

Her throat felt parched, lips dry, how long had she been out?

"I uh.." The girl paused, green eyes squinting to swallow painfully. "I may have.. accidently.. took a swipe on my doctor."

"_Accidently?_" Poison Ivy chimed in incrediously from her cell, amusement lighting up her lovely emerald eyes.

Harley, a broad smile curling on her lips, clapped a hand to her mouth to silence the breathless giggling. "Hehe, who's your doctor?" She managed through each heavy inhale.

"Letoski." Stomach fluttering once again, Katy squeezed her eyes shut, arms extended, stiff against the metal edge of her bed. Resting on her knees, she readied herself to finally regain her footing.

"Ooooo. The cute one. Hey Red, isn't that the guy you used to have a little cru-"

"No, Harley. I did _not!_" The redheaded woman hissed, throwing up her long arms. A little quieter she added, "Men are men.. but he isn't that hard on the eyes..."

Harley's following school girlish giggle was cut off by, _Oh Shut up Harley! _Which only fueled the cackling blonde's hysteria further.

Seething, Poison Ivy's curvy figure hunched like a predator preparing to pounce.

"Ohh.. I was just yanking your leg Red, are we gonna.." Through the narrow gap between their two neighboring rooms, Katy watched Harley bump the tips of her knuckles together, biting her bottom lip. She cast a non-too-subtle glance in Katy's direction.

Their previous conversation seemingly forgotten, Ivy gathered herself, smiling, one that didn't seem to reach her eyes.

"Listen," Pausing, Pamela rocked delicately on her heels. "Harley and I have been thinking a bit, about escaping again. But not through the laundry shoot this time!" Pointedly shooting another glare directly across from her, Harley replied with a muffled sound of protest.

Katy sank onto the disgusting gray cement floor, goose bumps erupting down her bare legs.

_"It worked well enough for me last time.."_

"Andd.." Interest peaked, Katy motioned with her free hand for the older woman to continue, sagging into the bed so abruptly that metal jabbed painfully into her ribs.

"We obviously wouldn't be able to trust Clayface enough to stay true to his word-"

"Plus, he's not even in Arkham!"

"Thank you, Harley." A sigh. "And if you're really a shape-shifter it will make things a lot simpler than just bashing everyone we run into with a bar over the head." Ivy went on impishly, intelligent green eyes narrowed nearly to slits.

Instantly, Katy's hand found its way toward her neck, thin fingers curling into the grooves and edges of the inhibitor collar that still radiated energy. She'd received a nasty shock in the session room, how would she be able to use her powers with continuous waves of electricity being sent out to stop it?

"Well, Sherlock, there's one little problem with that. There's no way I'll be able to get this contraption off with brute force, and I doubt that giant reptile guy could do it without snapping my neck like a pencil in the process."

Ivy's smug smirk in reply shot a jolt of caution through Katy's chest.

"Oh, but that's the best part! We know how to get rid of it! All we need to do is get into Dr. Arkham's office, the central control for all of those thingys is in there!" Harley substituted for the redhead's explanation, beaming broadly, both palms clasped together.

It sounded as if they were planning the impossible, but apparently they _had_ escaped before...

"Oh really.." Forehead creasing, her loose black hair waved and shifted on her shoulders and back, falling forward when she nearly doubled over onto the shaking cot to haul herself upward.

"_Hrumph_." Another tide of queasiness gripped her, along with a sudden burst of pain inside her skull. Cradling her pounding temple, Katy somehow managed to shuffle toward the glass, keeping herself from puking.

"And... how do you plan.. on getting into the most secure room of the entire facility?" Her newly acquired migraine thickened, leaving her voice breathless in places.

"Leave that to Harley." Confidence plain with the carefree look on Ivy's face, all Katy could do was nod numbly in agreement.

"Oh, Goody! This is going to be so much fun." The bubbling blonde cleared her throat rather loudly, a gentle grinding racket forcing Katy's attention back to the gap in the wall of her cell. Harley was replacing the missing brick, sauntering to her cell door when it settled in securely.

"It'd be a smart idea to cover your ears about now." Pamela mumbled, unamused as she retreated against the back wall of her room, pale green hands rising to cup around each ear.

_What'd she mean by that?_

Katy _really_ wished she had heeded the redhead's advice, Harley's ear drum-bursting shout of protest could've been mistaken for a small earthquake.

"Guaaaaaaaaaaaaards! I demand audience with Dr. Arkham! You know, good ol' Jeremiah, old friend o' mine!" It echoed harshly through the cramped hallway, soon followed by the pounding footsteps of one of the ox men. "Dr. Haaarleeen Quinzel here, I need a word with the head honcho, if you don't mind!"

Pressing into the panel as close as she could get, the girl caught a glimpse of a very unhappy man jogging down the long corridor, the rings of keys on his belt jingling like sleigh bells.

"What's the problem, Quinn?" The guard, arriving in front of Harley's cell at last, rumbled menacingly, beefy arms crossing.

"Are you deaf?" Harley barked accusingly, "I said I need to speak with Arkham."

"Talk with Arkham about _what_?" Not the least bit dazed by the blonde's incredibly high and irritating voice, Ox Man huffed.

"That's between me, and him. It's about my 'rehabilitation'" Ivy, comfortably leaned into the wall, had quite the bemused expression, a red eyebrow lifted ever so slightly.

Something between a growl and a grunt escaping him, the guard caved, his broad face the pinnacle of regret. Katy heard the tell-tell beep of the cell's lock releasing, the rhythmic jangle of keys, Harley's upbeat humming. The sounds slowly faded until the two had gone.

Head titling, Katy looked to Ivy in question, who was observing her oval-shaped fingernails with much interest.

"We've got about 10 minutes tops, longer if Harley decides to pal around with Arkham about her old doctor days."

"Harley. _That_ Harley, used to be a doctor? You know, one with a college degree and PhD and all that?" Frankly, Katy was astonished, what had happened to Harley to turn her into such a psychotic ditz?

A smile, a pleasant one at that, appeared on Ivy's red lips. She puffed quietly with laughter. It reminded Katy of bells chiming together.

"Yes, _that_ Harley indeed was a psychologist here. The Joker seduced her and turned her into his personal lap dog to praise him about every single thing he did... and other things." She spoke of the Joker with such loathing, Katy almost expected her to spontaneously combust with the quiet rage that lit up the redhead's pale green eyes.

"Ah." The girl mumbled, her next question tip-toeing on cracked ice.

"How close are you and Harley? I remember seeing your pictures in the Gotham Gazette a few years back, you two got quite popular."

Ivy's glance could've frosted over a furnace, but it softened a bit, her own dark red hair sliding freely across her shoulders when she titled to face the empty space within her cell.

"As Harley puts it, I'm her _bestest gal pal_. She's like a sister to me." Poison Ivy replied, her voice thick with emotion, although the expression on her face remained placid.

"That's... sweet. When do you think Harley will be-"

The entire hallway flushed a deep, unnatural red color, ear-drumming alarms piercing into the rather solemn conversation of theirs.

Cringing, Katy clamped her palms against her head, straining to catch a glimpse in the direction Harley had happily skipped down only minutes earlier.

The fresh excitement rattling them, every inmate down the length of the corridor began screeching, screaming for help, cheering, or mumbling inaudible threats.

"I'll take this as a sign Harley did what she needed to?"

Ivy had her lips parted, preparing to answer, when the collar let loose a long beep, and fell to the cement floor with a clank.

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**Comments, Faves, and Reviews are very much appreciated. I hope you're enjoying the story for far. c:**


	5. Catching Up

Harley's gentle humming followed her down each lengthy hallway, a bounce in her step, as usual, with a bright and brimming grin.

Oblivious ol' Jeremiah would just assume she was going through her daily pattern, a smile here, a lot of hysterical laughing there.

Hah, the guard hadn't even decided to clamp cuffs over her wrists upon releasing her from that stupid cell, God, she hated that cell. She should start some kind of petition, demanding better conditions. Perhaps a hot tub, oooo! Or a slushy machine. Massage chairs?

_Getting off topic, Harley!_ Her sub conscious prodded her.

All this trifle just to do something as simple as bashing in a electronic device, how hard could it be? She was very skilled in that particular smashing-theory.

Vainly acknowledging the guard's lumbering presence behind her, the pigtailed blonde allowed a mischievous giggle to bubble from her chest. It was a rather calm one for herself, almost like a normal woman's instead of that cackling clown stuff. _This was going to be so exciting!_

"What's so funny?" The burly man demanded, his voice hard and serious. Bleh, no fun.

"Huuh. Nothing, just felt like I needed ta' laugh, this place is so dang glum!" _Smooth save, Harls._

Shrugging her erotic behavior off with a jerk of his head, the guard continued prowling along, his brutish face passive.

Now she was thinking about Dr. Arkham again.

Despite being the whole reason this downer place existed, Harley was a teensy bit fond of him, so perhaps she wouldn't have to kill him... Not attached in the weird way of course, more of like.. a distant friend or admired role model. Not that she wanted to be a psychiatrist again, nope, leave that to the other eggheads.

Arkham certainly had been a help in those first few weeks of interning. He may have babied her a little with her new job and responsibilities, but the notion that he wanted to help made her feel all fuzzy inside, like fireworks!

Just a couple more turns, and she'd be there!

Harley knew Arkham's every nook and cranny by now, was that good or bad? Eh, it was all the same anyway, dull grey walls, dusty floors, barred windows.

Before she could decide on anything too drastic, she needed to get a visual sweep of Jeremiah's office, especially where that dang console thing was, then, BAM! All her problems would be solved, sort of. Just one big problem. _I wonder if Katy really can shape-shift. Could she turn herself into me? Ivy? Oooo I could ask her to turn into Mr. J! Uh, wait, not. That would be weird. What if I tried to kiss her? That might cause a bit of a scene, I wonder if she's in to that kind of stuff, though? _

The large guard's mitt hand grabbing her bicep and yanking it the blonde back a few steps caught her off guard, squeaking like a squashed rat, Harley whipped her head around to face him, wondering what she'd done. _Geez, they just never let you forget, huh!_

"Hold it, Quinn. We're here." _Oh, Goody!_ Closing that massive hand of his into a fist, the guard knocked with surprising gentleness against the blurred glass panel that had been constructed into the center of the door. Harley read **DR. JEREMIAH ARKHAM **on a fancy golden plate nailed firmly in the dark wood.

"Come in." A clear voice responded immediately, stifled by the thick, sound-proof walls.

Meat-hands gripped his free palm over the brass handle, turned it, and leaned into the creaking door so that it swung inward. Arkham seemed rather dumbfounded to have a smiling Ms. Quinn in his office doorway.

"Harleen." Ugh, there he went, using her _old_ name again. Her past was behind her, although, Harley had to admit, it brought on a fresh feel of nostalgia for her simpler, previous life. Chatting like close pals over coffee with Joan in the employee lounge, mulling over the Joker's files into the late hours. Ahh.. Mistah J.

"Oh please, Jeremiah, it's Harley, remember?" Puffing, she whapped the back of her palm self-consciously into a hanging pigtail, swishing it close to her guiding guard's hideously bulging nose.

"Uh, yes. Of course. Please have a seat, if you will." Arkham finger-combed his peppery gray hair, there wasn't much to work with, Harley came to notice.

Giving her head a bob, Harley settled comfortably into one of the fabricated chairs that faced the doctor's impressively organized desk. His ceramic mug read **World's Best Dad**. How cute. He had kids? _God, get your head out of the gutter, Harley! The console!_

Sweeping her head as fluently as possible across the room, Harley had to bite back a _HA!_ of triumph. The target in question rested alone on the edge of Jeremiah's stout little bookcase, several miniature red bulbs glowing brightly. So that was how many meta-whatevers were in Arkham, interesting.

"Harlee- Harley, why have you been brought to my office? Has something gone wrong?" Dr. Arkham tentatively began, dark brown eyes squinted, that silly tie he wore jerking as he rocked back into his own seat. His was speaking to her, although his gaze shot accusingly back at the room's entrance, where the guard remained.

A small smile, seemingly sincere, curled on Harley's red lips.

"I asked to be brought here, it's uh.. kinda.." Jutting her lower lip forward to pout innocently, Harley shot a look over her shoulder at the guard, who was looking none-too-pleased at being ridiculed this badly in one day.

"Private, then?" Jeremiah supplied, a bushy eye brow quirked. Reluctantly, the bullheaded guard took the hint. The musty door closed with a quiet click behind him, although his silhouette remained visible in the warped glass.

"Right then, what's on your mind, Harleen?" _Harley!_ And hmm. Good, the ox was out of the room for now, how was she going to bust the collar control box up? The mug perhaps, it might shatter upon impact, but surely it could do some damage. Now all she had to do was swipe it without alarming him.

"Oh, yes! Oooh, is that cup new?" Casually, the smiling blonde stretched her arm over various neat stacks of papers and other trinkets, clasping her long fingers through the slender handle of his coffee mug.

Jeremiah watched passively, allowing her to draw it back toward her to be observed with feigning interest.

"Aww, how adorable." Harley cooed, tilting the empty cup sideways, even despite the fact she'd already gone over the entire Awesome Dad thing earlier.

"Hmm. Yes. Anyways, your questions?"

"Yes, yes. I'm getting to that." Still smiling, although a bit half-heartedly now, Harley rose, leaning closer to the bookshelf, mug in hand.

"It's about that new kid, Katy, you know, black hair, green eyes, put in the cell next to mine?" Slanting her head that she peered sideways at the doctor, Harley carefully shifted another step closer to the blinking console. _Just a few more feet..._

Jeremiah seemed intrigued now, his dark eyes lit up behind those dull wired glasses.

"Ah, yes. What would you like to know about her, and may I ask.. why?"

Another step toward the flashing console.

"Well, it's more of a statement, Jerri. She doesn't seem all that.. well... _mad_." Allowing that trademark, full-toothed grin of hers, Harley lifted her free hand to corkscrew her pointer finger in a circle a couple inches from her head. "I feel as if she doesn't belong here, I mean, we've got high class crazies here, poor kid must be frightened out of her mind." _See, Harley can be logical when she tried, really, really hard._ Her grip on the mug tightened. _Get ready for sparks to fly, Jeremiah!_

Staring at her quizzically, Dr. Arkham put some insight into this, eventually his head began to nod as if he agreed. "I understand on some level Harley, but I don't think you fully grasp the fragile state Ms. Grey is in. She has suffered deep mental trauma, and someone with that kind of ticking time bomb within themselves can only do harm."

"You lost me at Harley." The blonde muttered, uninterested in his drabbles. She now loomed, adrenaline building in her veins, a mere foot from the console.

The doctor released a heavy exhale, thumb and fore finger massaging the bridge of his nose. "Is that all you came here for, Ms. Quinn?"

Teeth digging into her lip, Harley barely suppressed her laughter. "Ah, no, not exactly. And Jeremiah?"

His dark eyes slid open, falling onto her place in the corner, one elbow propped against the short bookcase.

"Sorry 'bout this!"

The next few seconds were quite exciting. A burst of electricity, the carnage of the console showering the carpeted floor, Jeremiah's alarmed shout. The remaining shard of the mug slicing into the alerted guard's neck, blood, lots of it. A real laugh riot!

Alarms blared throughout the facility, but not even that kind of racket could block out Harley's gleeful chorus of high-pitched laughter.


	6. Weed Lady

**Usually after I write my chapters I end up changing some stuff later on, I hope this updated version of the chapter is better, I did add a bit more to it.**

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Many strange things had happened in Arkham before. It was an insane asylum after all.

Although, Katy was quite sure, no one had ever suspected that one day, a rhinoceros would be thundering chaotically through its empty halls.

And the dainty, red-haired woman on the beast's back must've never guessed she would be riding that giant animal, either. It was just a whole day of surprises.

Sharp tangs of pain prickled all over the shape-shifter's adopted body, tiny drops of scarlet trickling into the many wrinkles this form possessed. I mean seriously, rhinoceros's must have never heard of lotion before.

Ivy felt as light a feather, clinging helplessly to the creature's pumping shoulders Each massive bound jolted her so badly that she slammed into Katy's spine many times. Must feel like a rodeo up there.

"We've... get to.. Harley!" The green-skinned vixen gasped gaily, her fingernails biting ineffectively into the rhino's hide for a handhold, which was about as bothersome as a fly.

Unable to form words, you know, having the vocal cords of a rhinoceros and all, Katy settled with a gruff, rumbling snort that made her unusually large nostrils flare.

How in the holy world could this plan possibly succeed? The halls of Arkham were like a maze, a maze she'd only spent a maximum of two days in. They'd gotten this far, why not?

Clarion horns continued to scream, battering Katy's newfound acute hearing. God, it was becoming unbearable.

Stomping breathlessly to a halt, Rhino-Katy's heavy frame slumped, exhaustion weighing into her powerful body. Gee, shattering several panels of plexiglass and galloping full rhino speed down corridors really took a lot out of you.

Poison Ivy slid gracefully from her mount's flank, obviously ruffled by the bumpy ride. Her usually well-kempt and flowing red hair jutted out in random places, her asylum union was crumpled, and she had that distant, still-trying-to-believe-that-really-happened look in her startling emerald eyes.

Katy inwardly smirked despite herself, form shuddering as she prepared to morph into her comfortable, normal body.

Pamela exhaled crossly, vehemently breaking the somewhat silence, beyond the blasting alarms. "I doubt Harley stuck around Jeremiah's office long, I suppose she'll be waiting for us by the rec room entrance, or we could always check the Joker's cell. She's probably sticking to him like she got slathered in glue." The frost in her tone was biting, but Katy didn't reply right away, she had a bit of problem going on, well, one worse than the other ones.

Hnng. That glass-smashing business really was starting to catch up to her now, why didn't rhinoceroses have glass-proof skin?! As her bulky body began to shrink, flat, fat feet replaced with long fingers, grey ivory skin paling peach, nearly invisible patches of red gradually peppered every inch of Katy's exposed body.

It stung like a million wasp stings.

"Son of...agh!" A particularly beefy piece had somehow ended up wedged into the tender skin above her collar bone, every beat of her pulse goading it into intensifying the pain. Cringing, Katy trembled on her knees, right hand splayed onto the concrete, the other tip-toeing cautiously around the shard's edges.

"Excuse me- oh! That looks a bit unpleasant. Thanks for the lift, by the way." Hips swaying in that natural, seductive way of hers, Ivy's head tilted, observing their current surroundings.

It was a rather cramped atrium tucked between a bend in the two cell blocks, the desk attached to the wall empty, papers scattered all across the usually spotless tile floor. A mug of coffee rested, abandoned, beside a monitoring station. On the black and white observing screens, Ivy eyed the escaped meta-inmates with a twinge of nervousness that managed to slip past her mask of neutrality.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. God.." Stifling her pathetic whimper when blood spurted from the freed wound, the glass dug into her bare palm before she tossed it aside with a hollow clank. "So, where's the rec room? And what's with the big guns tearing people to bits up there?" Indeed, the convict she'd referred to as _Godzilla_ during her first day now towered viciously over a decapitated corpse, crimson coating his jagged mouth. What a lovely image to have glued to the insides of Katy's brain the rest of the day, if she lived through it.

A jail break was likely to happen any moment and here she was joking around about it. Who knew, her famous last words might just be a quip about how ironic this whole situation was becoming.

Ivy's head slowly shifted to face her, a jumble of emotions flashing exposed before she managed to become stone-faced once again.

"Just.. follow me. And don't get too comfortable. We might have to deal with a few people I am not too fond of." Quietly, Katy lamented her luck. Why.. why of all the insane asylums in the _beeeautiful_ world did it have to be Arkham? This was the place where crazy was born, for God's Sake, the Joker was here! Wasn't he? Is that what Ivy meant?

Attempting to focus instead on the memorizing sway of Poison Ivy's captivating red hair, Katy, disturbingly found herself sucking in every detail. The curls of the tips of each lock, that floral, sweet scent practically radiating from her. Man or woman couldn't deny, Ivy was beautiful no matter what. Perhaps it was those pheromones she was so fond of using, come to think of it. As long as Ivy didn't decide to plant a mind-control-lipstick kiss on her cheek, Katy was quite alright with their arrangement.

By now, growing accustomed to the defending roar of the alarms, a mocking voice drilling in a cell on the two women's right sides nearly plucked her high-strung nerves to burst.

"Paaaammmiiiee! Oh deary Pam! How are you!? We haven't talked in soooo long!"

Each and every muscle of Ivy's tensed at the racket, Katy could see the visible rage flushing her pale green complexion pink. _Oh dear, warning bells!_

Curiosity pricked, Katy lingered closer to the source of the sound, icy green eyes squinting to gather the faint lighting that pulsed from the dimming cell. A single bulb fluttered from the swinging lamp overhead, trailing the beam of light in a pendulum across the inside of the room.

Poison Ivy's reply was a snarl very similar to that of an angry bear.

The shadow that occupied the room shuddered with hearty, bone-chilling laughter. Something about it seemed familiar, although her mind screamed, _danger, danger, don't trust this prick with anything sharp!_

"Joker. It's _Poison Ivy_ to you." Katy's older companion hissed dryly, green hands already closed into fists. The small, thin vines wrapped around both wrists trembled, displeased by their mistress's sudden wave of unhappiness.

_The Joker. Oh..._

"Hah! I'll call you whatever I like, Weed Lady." Joker sneered in retort, his messy green hair flopping over his face. Suddenly he perked up. "Say, where's my Harley-girl? I miss that little minx." Katy heavily regretted allowing her eyesight to adjust to the heavy darkness, it didn't help that she could assist the process with her abilities. The Joker's paper-white, pockmarked face was as clear as day. She wanted to tear herself away, far away, disgusted, yet disturbingly gripped in.. what.. awe? Fear?

Ivy released another unintelligible mutter, green eyes bright with fury. Several other inmates surrounding the confrontation chuckled, screamed Bloody Murder, or remained silent, grinning ferally. So Joker always had a captive audience, what torture.

"I have to say, I'm astonished she hadn't come rushing down here like a starving wild dog once she got free." Ivy snapped sourly, the waxy leaves on each spindly vine attached to her body twitching.

Joker rocked back, cackling, legs churning on the cement flooring. If his arms hadn't been concealed beneath the tight weaves of a straight jacket, she suspected he would have slapped his knee to get the amusement of Ivy's comment off easier.

"Me too! So where is she? And Ooo! Something new has been added!" Careful not to yelp like a wimp when his soulless green eyes landed on her; scoping the girl out up and down, Katy relizeded that the clown was referring to _her_. "Who is this?" Yellow teeth visible underneath his stretched grin, Joker's head whipped back toward Ivy.

Suddenly, Katy felt rather self-conscious. Why would she be? He's just another loon. _Uughh, this sucks, couldn't we just get along with meeting up with Harley?_

"None of your damn business, clown. That's who. Come on Katy, he's not going to be much help.." Poison Ivy mumbled, seething so badly that steam should be whistling from her ears as she stalked further from Joker's cell.

An _awwww_ of protest erupted from the clown, which was soon replaced with another burst of random laughter.

"He's an interesting one." Katy ventured softly after a couple of moments of blasting alarms and Joker's taunting laughter. For an odd reason, she was unable to resist glancing over her shoulder. Joker had somehow gotten himself on his feet, forehead pressed into the glass. His toothy smile was eerie. _Nightmare fuel_, Katy complained consciously.

"That's a mild way of saying a complete scum-sucking bastard, yea." Ivy's voice was hard with anger, just the way she walked now had changed, movements stiff.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't like him." Katy offered lamely, a feeble attempt at dousing Ivy's tension. It didn't work well.

"Anyone in their right mind should think the same! I mean, God! Harley really is wrong in the head if she _always_ chooses to go back to that creep! He treats her like property, not the wonderful person she really is! He threw her out of a god-damned window for heaven's sake!" Ivy's voice had risen, screeching in absolute distress. Talk about getting caught off guard.

Harley had the hots for the Joker? Dear god, she really was crazy.

"W-what!? Harley got thrown out a window?" Obviously it hadn't been that drastic if Harley was still alive and kicking now, but.. no one deserved that kind of abuse. Not even Harley Quinn.

Seemingly gotten rid of all her frustrations during her heated ranting, Poison Ivy regained her composure, regarding Katy's shock calmly.

"Yes.. The Joker got mad and.. bad things happened. He always does this to her. Treats her like trash, kicks her out, heartbroken. She always comes running to me. I just want this senseless cycle of abuse to end, for her sake." _...Why is she telling me this? We'd only been acquainted for no more than 48 hours, I wouldn't hardly call us friends, more like.. business partners._

As if the thought of sharing her personal demons with someone she barley knew had occurred to her, Ivy's forest green eyes darted up, piercing the girl's gaze.

"I'm sorry, you don't need to hear this, let's find Harley." Without another word, the redhead strode stoically down the blubbering corridors of cells, ignoring the leering comments from the inmates that inhabited them.

"Lead the way.." Katy murmured pointlessly, a pout forming on her lips. She found herself genuinely caring about the affairs of these two, they just had that dangerous charisma about them that drew the girl to them. She couldn't explain it.

At last the pair broke away from the endless line of cells, emerging into another dank atrium, this time occupied by several corpses that reeked with the sickly sweet scent of death.

Pools of red mucked up the floor, soaked into the single rug that rested in front of massive steel door. The secretary's desk was in rubble, split in half with its swiveling office chairs vacant in the corner.

"...Great. Harley!?" Ivy's soft voice rose into a commanding pitch, muscling past the loud alarms, she called again: "Harley!?"

Absent-mindedly prodding a body with the toe of her foot, Katy's loose locks waved against her head when she crouched to examine the marred remains. The guard's abdomen was completely torn out, his intestines lay a few feet away in a bloody heap. Lovely. Although, the fool did have a use after death, luckily, whoever had mauled him had no earthly need for a taser. It remained in the man's holster untouched.

"Harley!?"

Plucking the weapon from the guard's belt, Ivy had barley began to call out again when a familiar voice answered.

"Red? Katy? Is that you?"


	7. Must Kill Her!

"Harley? Where are you?" Abandoning the opening of the next hallway, Ivy, her outline highlighted by the harsh red light of the alarms, called in reply.

"Over heeeere!" A distant voice answered, rising into an annoying pitch. God, only Harley of all people could screech over the racket of blaring clarion horns.

Ivy's slender shadow disappearing down the length of the massive corridor, Katy groped her fingers over the swiped tazer. It was far too dark to determine which button was which, and blinding scarlet light did nothing to help.

Growling in frustration, she jammed her index and middle finger onto the two sleek plastic bumps that bulged from the weapon.

The delicate hairs on her arms prickled, a thin wisp of smoke puffed up her nose, and with a spark, electricity pulsed between the two small metal rods sticking from the taser's front end.

"At least something's going right today…" The girl muttered, releasing the two switches. The spark dying, the presence of people approaching through flashing hall caught her attention. A couple of female figures, Harley and Ivy, were followed closely by some lumbering mass of a creature.

He had very stocky shoulders, along with two beefy arms that would have put the Rock to shame. His head was oddly shaped, a bit deformed, the jaw seemed crooked…

Katy lost her hold on the taser; it plummeted to the floor, buttons smashing into the carpeting Tendrils of electricity burst from it, casting a bluish white pattern of light across Katy's body.

_Oh. Crap. _

It was the reptile man! It had to be, who else looked that way here?

"Nice work butterfingers, we'll need that. Hey, why so scared-looking? Don't you recognize us? Katy?"

Harley and Ivy were close enough to pick her out of the shadows now, so now all she could do was pray to god that reptile guy's sight was as bad as he smelled.

The taser continued to crackle, Katy made no move to recover it, and instead she crept a couple inches into the center of the room, trying to swallow herself into the darkness.

_I am completely screwed. Very screwed. Sooooooo screwed._

"God, kid, what's got you so rattled? It's just Killer Croc. He's a friend, I guess. Say, Harley. How'd you get Croc to help us anyway? We don't exactly stop and chat over coffee a lot." Ivy clamped both hands onto her curved hips, gesturing with her chin to the large silhouette that loomed behind them.

Throat dry, Katy gulped painfully, aware that the luminous yellow eyes of Killer Croc had finally located her slinking through the crevices of darkness of the room. They narrowed; the gears in his empty head were turning.

Teeth sinking into her bottom lip, Harley puffed nervously, twirling a pigtail around her pointer finger.

"Well… uh. I kinda promised that.. uh.. you would sleep with him once we escaped?"

Ivy's outraged _what_ of protest was interrupted when Croc shouldered himself abruptly between the two arguing women, a deep rumble of growls thundering from his bare chest.

"I know you." The beast snarled viciously, prowling forward, a large hand outstretched for Katy.

Yelping, she unsuccessfully attempted to duck between his clawed mitts. Clipping her shoulder with a mighty swipe, Croc slammed the girl into a short oval-shaped desk. Her side dug painfully into the reinforced wood trimming before Katy collapsed to her knees. The table tumbled sideways, a chair leg snapped off.

"Croc! Hey, no mauling our pal here or the deals off!" Harley bellowed, ripping the fallen table free of one its remaining legs to swat the monster across the back of his skull. He shrugged it off mulishly, taking another swing for Katy.

"Whoa, whoa, Harley, control him! I can't summon any plants here, they can't hear me!" Ivy demanded frantically.

Scrambling to regain her footing on the blood-slicked floor, Katy launched herself across the littered secretary desk, bringing along an avalanche of papers to the floor with her. Killer Croc released another enraged roar, Harley's screaming and wooden pole striking his head over and over again must be getting irritating.

_Well poor him! I don't know if I can fight him or not, god what should I do? Uhhh.. uhhh.. Bear! _

Katy willed herself to morph into the image she had at mind, yes, a nine foot tall Kodiak bear, with uhhh.. giant claws, massive paws, and a lot of teeth. Thick, coarse fur sprouted along her arms, her center of gravity shifted, she felt so powerful… she could feel each muscle flex just by inhaling. Wow. Let's see how tough this sack of crocodile flesh is now! Gathering her breath, Bear Katy slammed her huge front feet into the desktop, her jaws unhinging into a menacing roar.

"Holy Mother!" The blonde stuttered, back wheeling into a startled Poison Ivy's chest. The chair leg she held was nearly split in half, hanging dangerously loose from a couple strands of splinters.

"Graaah! Where the girl go! Must kill her!" Croc thundered, rushing forward to meet his new adversary.

Forcing her heavy frame forward, Katy clashed with him, four inch long claws digging into his thick shoulders. Bellowing in pain, Killer Croc splayed his own clawed mitts into her furred shoulders. They struggled against each other, Croc frothing at the mouth, and a long drop of saliva was beginning to pool from the corner of the bear's joules.

"Am not Godzilla!" The asylum patient insisted angrily, baring his hideously yellow fangs.

"Come on Katy, you can take him! Give 'em the old one two!" Harley encouraged heartily, hopping foot to foot in a boxer's stance with a ridiculous grin on her childish face.

A throaty growl escaping her, Katy mustered up the bear's collected strength, and lunged. Barley overpowering him, she managed to jolt closer to his face, wrapping her mouth onto the crook of his stubby neck. Biting into his skin felt like trying to chomp on a block of clay, frankly, it was disgusting.

Warm, taint-tasting liquid seeped into her mouth. Killer Croc roared, now trying to pull away from her instead of his previous plan to rip her limb from limb. He shuddered, producing a horrifying gurgling plea for mercy.

"That's it! Yes!" Harley cheered, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Ivy observed the scene icily, both hands rested firmly on the blonde's shoulders.

His massive body growing weaker, Katy forced the beast to his knees, shoving him backward onto the floor. His head lolled before rocking back limply. Dark blood rimmed the bear's mouth, it stuck to her tongue, her teeth… ugh.. revolting.

In the blink of an eye the original Katy had returned to her native form, gagging, smudging her shirt's sleeve with the remaining red splotches around her lips.

"I think I'm gonna puke." She whimpered, swiping the heel of her palm across her mouth one more time.

Harley however, was hooting like an overexcited soccer fan, rushing over to trap Katy in a tight, lung-rupturing embrace. "Good work, rookie! Now let's bust this joint!" She chirped, backing away to skip merrily down the hall the three had earlier emerged from.

Ivy briefly cupped a hand lightly onto Katy's shoulder before trailing after Harley, the faintest of a smile on her red lips.

_At least I finally get to leave this place…_

A twinge of horror tightening her chest, the girl managed to force her legs to carry her after the two, the awful memory of watching the life whisk from Croc's beady yellow eyes replaying in her head. The taser continued to crackle, it rested in a pool of blood, whose, no way to tell anymore. Tentatively gathering it in her right hand, Katy flipped the power switch downward with a click. The spark puffed away with another small trail of smoke. Sliding it into one of the back pockets of her uniform, she broke into a jog to follow after the fleeting glimpse of Ivy's red hair curve around a corner at the end of the hallway.

"Up here." Ivy beckoned from a cramped flight of stairs that swirled in a spiral upward. "Once we get up these stairs all we have to do is find an exit." Hopping up each step, Katy nearly toppled into Ivy. Harley stood ahead of them both, hands held up with a positively indifferent expression. Her lips shifted deviously to the side when Katy appeared.

Three guards stood at the top of the stairwell, equipped with dart guns. Each wore a heavy Kevlar vest, and a riot helmet shielding their faces with a thick sheet of plastic. They also wore gas masks that rendered their identities unrecognizable. Katy could guess why.

"Ms. Quinn, Ms. Isley, and Ms. Grey; up against the wall, hands up, no tricks or we'll shoot." The head of the line commanded, jerking his gun pointedly. Harley casually leaned into the stained gray wall, smiling that smile that surely meant certain death. Ivy, a little less eagerly settled beside her friend, glowering darkly at each masked face of the men.

"Hands up, Ms. Grey." The man threatened, sauntering closer to where the girl stood. That was his first mistake. As soon as he was directly in front of Harley, she leapt, clocking the side of his head with a heavy roundhouse kick that shoved him into the wall with a pained grunt. The second guard whipped his aim away from Katy to fire at the laughing blonde, who was already throwing punches at the third man who had foolishly dropped his weapon. Ivy used one arm to force his aiming one aside, and the other to deliver a vicious right hook into the exposed part of his jaw. He crumpled to the floor.

The first guard having regained his wits, Katy noticed a trembling hand rise weakly to point the muzzle of his weapon at the redhead. Diving for him, she clamped her palm firmly around the gun arm, reeling back her right fist to strike him across his cheek. The gun fired, burying a red-feathered tip dart into the faded emerald skin just below Ivy's neck.

Harley, the front end of her unconscious guard's black shirt wrapped into her fist, winced. Allowing the man to slide to the floor, she stepped over him to come to Ivy's side. "Ooh, you okay Red?"

"Ugh, yes Harley, I'm alright." Flicking the dart aside, Ivy rubbed the spot it had punctured, scowling. "Let's just go, I've had to up to here with Arkham and its pathetic excuses for guards." Harley continued down the empty corridor, using the wall as leverage to swing around the corner hurriedly. Ivy followed a bit slower, pulling her hand away from her neck. The flawless pale green was smudged with dark red, a couple drops swelled from the cut in her skin.

Katy moved down the hallway, pulling up beside the intimidating, taller woman.

"If you don't mind me asking, why haven't the drugs affected you? I'm guessing it has something to do with your altered biochemistry or something?" Ivy slid her right hand over the thigh of her pants, smearing off the blood stuck to her palm.

"Yes, my blood produces antitoxins as fast as the dart's drugs go into my bloodstream. Still bites to be hit with one though." The redhead mumbled, never taking her eyes off Harley who had sped ahead. The blonde was stopped at an emergency exit door, stubbornly struggling with the bar that usually swung the door free. It wasn't budging.

"Ugh! Why won't this stupid door open?" Harley demanded furiously, slamming her shoulder into the hard metal again. She stumbled backward, clutching her arm. "Ow!"

"Careful, Harls. The lockdown must literally lock down everything. That or it's jammed. Let me see if I can get the plants to help us." Poison Ivy approached the door, both arms outstretched. Her hands curled into fists, there was a distant rumble.

"Can you contact them, Red?" Harley chided, comfortably invading Katy's personal bubble to drape an arm across her shoulder. The blonde toyed with her long, dark hair, receiving no reply from Ivy.

Suddenly, the surface of the door crinkled, it groaned on its hinges, then tore away. Several thick vines protruding from the ground outside crushed the door, suffocating it in a tangle of green. Ivy smiled, gladly emerging into the cool night air. Sighing deeply, she stroked the nearest vine, it leaned into her touch.

"Hah! Yes! Jailbreak!" Harley squealed happily, rushing through the door to tumble forward into several cartwheels over the lawn beside the asylum's parking lot.

Katy stepped outside, sucking in the chilly winter air. Ivy kicked her shoes away despite the freezing temperatures, cooing softly to her plants. They wrapped around her, some cheap imitation of a hug, Katy guessed. Harley continued to perform fantastic gymnastic feats, giggling madly.

Free at last.


	8. The Babies!

**A Couple Hours Later…**

"Reeeeeeed… Pleeease?" Harley gave the green skinned woman one last shake, releasing her hands from each of Ivy's biceps to clasp them into each other. Her head tilted to the side, ruffling her long pigtails. Ivy on the other hand, had a face like stone; her brows were drawn together, jungle green eyes boiling with irritation.

Katy observed the scene passively from a vine-covered easy chair tucked next to one of the long rows of glass panels that lined the green house. Ivy's place was nice… if you were into green. Plants nearly covered every inch of this room itself, a massive bulbous plant rested in the corner, pulsing with life every few seconds. Disgusting.

She didn't have an idea what Harley was hounding the taller redhead for, their conversation had been a careful whisper until the blonde started begging like a spoiled child. Peering over the rim of the ancient magazine she had been sifting through, Katy caught Ivy's eyes rolling, trying to resist the classic puppy-dog face her friend was pulling.

Harley rocked forward on her toes, barely matching Ivy's superior height. Her baby blue eyes were wide, brimming with tears. Fake or not, Katy couldn't tell. Reluctantly, Ivy caved. Her posture slumped, although the expression on her face soured even more.

"Okay! Okay! Fine! We'll go to the zoo and get your slobbering, mangy hyenas back!" Throwing up her hands, Ivy whirled to turn her back on Harley, who was squealing with excitement, hopping up and down. Getting over her fit, the blonde pounced on Ivy, wrapping her in a backwards hug that the redhead made no move to wriggle out of. She simply simmered quietly.

Katy set the magazine aside, attempting to lean forward from the soft, plush chair that had practically trapped in her a pit. Straining, she managed to her feet, brushing away any fine layer of dust that the chair had certainly left on her backside. "Wait, hyenas?" This wasn't going to be good, when was it ever?

Harley finally pulled away from the redhead, smiling ear to ear. She nodded, brushing aside the pale blonde hair had settled over her face. "Yes, the last time we were brought in they caged up my poor babies in the Gotham Zoo! Who knows what they're doing to them there!? We're going to rescue my babies!" She declared hysterically, leaping forward to somersault over the flimsy wooden table that sat in the center of the room. She touched the floor at the foot of the open doorway, launching outside like an over energetic squirrel.

Katy rocked into her other foot, crossing her arms as she glanced at Ivy, who was looking about as sweet as a lemon—or would it be lime? "Her babies? Is she always like this?"

The green skinned woman nodded numbly, sauntering in the direction of the door looking none-too-pleased. Off in the distance Katy picked up Harley's faint voice screeching: "Wehavetosavethebaaaaaabies!"

"Let's just get this over with; I'll deal with those fleabags later if they bother me _or_ my plants." Jamming a thumb toward her chest, Ivy disappeared through the doorway, muttering something about hyenas always watering her plants for her.

Jerking her shoulders, Katy followed, pulling free a hair band Harley at flicked at her earlier in the evening from her left wrist. Ivy's dark red hair marking a beacon for which way to follow through the maze of hedges and trees, Katy pulled back her thick dark hair to secure it into a ponytail. The two white cotton ball tips of Harley's hat bobbing over the rows of bushes ahead, her harlequin black and red legs swung by in the air. She was cart wheeling along the gravel path. That's one way to get around, I suppose.

Suddenly, there was a hollow _thunk_.

Katy watched the blonde's two feet pitch forward, they didn't appear again.

"Oww!" Red! What's the deal with disguising your car as a bush if it's hidden _inside_ the maze?!" Ivy rounded the next bend in the wall of hedges, seeing her from the side, her dark green lips were pulled up.

"What if someone comes _in _the maze, Harley? They'd surely notice a bright pink car sitting in the middle of this." The redhead offered in her defense, yanking away the crumpled tarp of fake bush away, she revealed a dull pink car with a license plate that read, **ROSEBUD**. Katy muffled a snort.

Harley remained on the ground in front of the vehicle, rubbing a spot in the middle of her forehead. The hood of her hat was pushed upward, letting loose a couple locks of hair. She whimpered sullenly.

"Quit complaining and just get in." Ivy commanded dryly, opening the driver's side to slide into the upholstered seat. Huffing, Harley pulled free the passenger door, crawling into the cramped middle seat to provide room for Katy.

"Why don't you get a garage?" The blonde suggested, her damp mood forgotten like that.

Katy settled into the free seat as the engine purred to life. "No, I like this current arrangement." Ivy sniffed breathily, easing into the gas to speed the car through a weave of turns until they were greeted with the open road.

_Hmmphing_, Harley pulled her legs up onto the edge of her space, wrapping her arms over each knee. "I can't wait to see my babies again!" Instantly brightening with another upbeat outburst, the blonde smiled down the empty paved road ahead. "I hope they're okay…" Her demeanor shifted again, a stormy brooding look entered her pale eyes. Her bottom lip jutted out, grin replaced with a scowl.

"I'm sure they're fine, Harley. The zoo wouldn't let them starve no matter how disgusting they are." The green skinned woman replied calmly, wind whipping through her long red hair. Harley's back straightened, not taking the slightest offense to Ivy's comment about her filthy babies. Instead, she shot a closed-lipped smile at the redhead, her mood slipping again like an elephant on ice.

_I wonder if all their conversations are this… random._ Katy thought to herself, propping one arm on the rim of her side's door. Musty, polluted Gotham wind blew against her face, blunted by the windshield. Further into the city, she watched, disgusted as several smoke columns billowed into the air. She may not have been as plant-crazy as Ivy, but this was pitiful. Sweeping her gaze over the rows of demolished buildings and homes blurring by, Katy felt a tremor shudder down her back. She'd never been a fan of needles, of course counting that inch long one Ivy had plunged into her arm to temporarily protect her from the radiation wafting off this place. Although, becoming immune to any disease known to man for a short time was quite the bonus.

Civilization eventually began to appear, even if it was the most ratty, dangerous part of Gotham. Shady street lamps flickered feebly on every curb of the streets, which were only occupied by rough-looking men holding tire irons and crowbars. Their attention was immediately drawn from whatever dark conversation they had been wrapped in by the hot pink car rolling at a leisurely pace down the road. Ivy seemed to deliberately slow her vehicle, glowering ahead with an icy gaze. She was daring them to shout out some vulgar comment, providing the redheaded vixen a valid reason to throttle someone.

_Cocky. I would like to see one of these crack heads get it where it hurts._ Pulling her arm back into the safety of the cab, Harley stretched out an elbow to prod her in the side.

"What's the matter, scared?" The blonde purred, once again feeling to need to burst her personal bubble and protectively crook an arm along the side of Katy's neck. She leaned her petite frame against Katy's, patting her right cheek with the hand she had over her shoulders. "No need to worry, kid. These punks are nothin'!"

"Uh, no I jus—" Her stammering was silenced by Harley's gloved index finger pressing into her lips.

"Shh, shh shh! It's okay…" The clown girl drew her hand away, pouting sympathetically. Stiffening, Katy slid her light green eyes sideways in a silent plea for her to stop… just stop.

The shadowy neighborhoods and alleys left behind, Harley jerked in her seat excitedly, facing Ivy. "Hey Red? Are we almost—"

"So help me God, do not start with that, _are we there yet_, again Harley!" Poison Ivy thwacked her free hand onto the steering wheel, grasping it crossly.

"I wasn't gonna say that… persay… How much longer until the zoo?" The blonde countered morosely, folding her arms over each other.

_It's like listening to a mom nag at her kid. Harley __**is**__very childish. Makes sense. _Katy pondered to herself, leaning into the metal of the car door. Ivy shot back a level reply, which was followed by another question from Harley. This went on for several minutes.

By the time the vacant side parking lot of the Gotham Zoo was visible, Ivy looked about ready to explode. Her beautifully white teeth were grinding into each other, her eyes were narrowed, and every muscle in her arm looked more than willing to snap out and whap Harley up the side of her head.

"Oh Goody! We're here!" The blonde declared happily, bouncing on the leather seat.

Ivy eased the car to a stop, turning sideways to scold Harley. "Uh, hello? Sneaking here." Puffing, she yanked her door open, stepping onto the paved parking lot. Harley hopped out behind her, trailing the redhead's elegant stride with a ridiculous strut.

"Sneak. Sneak. Sneak. Sneak!" She murmured eagerly, her red and black figure moving along the zoo's brick wall. She had both arms extended like a child pretending to be an airplane.

Katy followed a little less… obliviously, keeping herself close to the surface of the barricade. She couldn't detect anyone other than the two women ahead of her, but there had to be at least one guard wandering around somewhere.

"Harley." Ivy began tempestuously, stopped at the edge of the gate where a single windowed post was placed. "Be quiet, or we're leaving, okay?" The threat instantly shushed the clown; instead, she comically pressed herself against the wall, sliding over it to the edge that Ivy had abandoned.

"Summoning giant vines to rip the gate away would be too… noticeable. I've had enough excitement for one night." Harley joined the redhead in front of the barred gate, both hands on her curvy hips. She gazed up, acknowledging that not even her amazing athletic skills could scale a fence that tall without getting impaled. The tips of her jester hat bobbed when she turned to face Katy.

"Hey! I've got an idea!" Rushing forward, the blonde yanked her out of the safety of the night's darkness and into the sickly yellow glow of the lamps posted on each side of the zoo's entrance. Stumbling, Harley's two palms shoved Katy closer to the bars, nearly smushing her against them.

"Oh, that's rather clever, Harley." Ivy's smooth voice commented lightly from her left.

"Whoa, wait. What are you guys wanting me to do?" The girl demanded, her ponytail shifting when she peered over her shoulder. Harley exhaled heavily, her knees bending to slump in disappointment.

"You're the only one who can fit through the bars. Turn into a cat or something and open the gate from the inside!" Harley retorted, delivering one last gentle prod.

_Oh. Right. God Katy, some super villain you are._ Sliding her eyes shut, Katy morphed. The ground rushed to meet her, her senses enlightened drastically, and these prickly sensitive whiskers sprouted from every exposed place on her muzzle. Lashing this body's long tail, Katy trotted toward the gap in the bars. Cold metal chilled her through the silky black fur along her sides, she felt her collar bone disconnect, allowing each small shoulder to slide forward. Soon her forepaws touched the concrete on the other side, the cat's small hips following suit.

"Daww, you look so _cuuute_ as a kitty!" Her small head snapping around, Katy's cat form visibly scowled at Harley, who had both hands pressed into her cheeks, grinning. Ivy sighed quietly, placing a hand on the blonde's forearm.

"Quit distracting her Harley; let's just get those hyenas and leave." She muttered.

"Yes! The Baaaabies!" Cat Katy padded into the tiny control room, trash and discarded beer and soda cans littered the floor and desk. The one revolving desk chair was occupied by a faintly snoring security guard, hat awry on his forehead. A dripping alcohol can was clasped in the meaty hand dangling from the arm of the chair, its scent was bitter. He certainly wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, however the space was too small to become a human again.

A ferocious growl rumbling from the cat's throat, she bunched her haunches, leaping gracefully onto the rising and falling chest of the man. He twitched, his breath hitching into a snort before evening out again.

Several switches covered the console set up on the desk, along with a ham radio that seemed to be shut off. Two buttons were placed parallel to each other, one was green, the other red.

_Basic knowledge, never the red button…_ Stretching a delicately small paw, Cat Katy poked the green button. It produced a low beep, the magnetic locks on the gate releasing. Harley used both hands to swing the heavy metal gates inward, smiling, as usual. _Hmm, lucky guess!_

"Nice work, Kitty. Let's go find my babies!" She mused, launching into several joyful cartwheels down the zoo walkway. Ivy followed a little less enthusiastically, frowning. Cat Katy leapt from the console, hurrying through the cramped doorway, wading through several clumps of trash. Ugh, gross.

"Stupid slobbering mutts…" The redhead fumed as she passed, fists clenched. Her palms splayed on the cold cement beneath her, Katy's gaze followed her, slightly amused. Apparently Ivy and the 'Babies' had some bad history. Perhaps it had something to do with watering plants. Whatever that meant.

Pushing herself onto her feet, Katy started down the pathway, observing the animal shaped shadows that populated particular enclosures. Several were empty, the only things marking an animal's residence were cheap plastic toys or empty food bowls. Much like the rest of the city, it was terribly gloom here. The structures had a pointed look to them, making them appear a bit gothic. Caged big cats paced as the women passed, snarling venomously through their cage's bars. What a really homey, family place!

"Babies? Buddy? Louie?" Harley's high voice echoed harshly on the sharp curves of the surrounding buildings. She crept carefully along the rows of cages, listening for any signs of her precious little babies.

Sudden enough to nearly scare Katy right from her skin, two hairy, massive silhouettes rushed to the restraints of their cages, barking and laughing madly. The two mongrels were a deep tan color, their snouts and legs black with a pattern of neat spots on their pelts. They seemed friendly enough, welcoming Harley's squeals of joy with two wet tongues swiping repeatedly over her face. Their thick necks were straining to squeeze through the cage's bars, desperate to shower their mistress with love. Harley wrapped both her arms under each of their chins, cooing: "Oh my precious little babies, who's the sweetest, bestest…"

"Ugh." Poison Ivy growled to the side, her slender arms folded over her chest. Harley continued to praise her hyenas about how cute and sweet they were for a while longer. Finally pulling away from the cage to stand, the blonde used the back of her hands to wipe away the hyena slobber that was smearing the white grease paint she had slathered onto her face underneath the black mask.

"Alright! Let's bust these puppies out and get home!" She beamed, pulling free a spare bobby pin from somewhere underneath her hood. Approaching the latched combination lock clasped onto the door's hook, she plunged the bent piece of metal into the keyhole to jiggle it forcefully. Cocking her head to the side thoughtfully, Harley jerked the pin to the side, freeing the lock. Tossing it aside, she unlatched the door. Her hyenas instantly sprung from their prison, yapping and laughing in circles around Harley, who was giggling hysterically.

Finished greeting their master, the two hyenas made a move toward Ivy, who immediately held a hand forward to snarl: "Don't even think about it."

"Daww, they're just happy to see you Red!" Harley whined in her babies' defense.

Short tails drooping, the pair of beasts turned their beady brown eyes on the newcomer, snuffing curiously. Regarding them calmly, Katy crouched, perched on her toes. The hyenas stepped closer, tongues hanging sideways from their jaws. The hairy stubs they called tails wiggled happily.

"Aww, they like you!" Harley beamed, collapsing to her knees to pull both animals into the thirtieth embrace that night.

"Let's just go already." Ivy suggested, exasperated. Without waiting for a reply, the redhead started down the walkway they had taken before, pushing aside the squeaking metal gates. A disgruntled snort sounded from inside the tiny control room.

Hushing her two yapping mongrels, Harley pranced through the gate, humming loud enough to wake the entire block. So much for being quiet. The hyenas' claws clicked on the cement, and their ragged breathing was about as stealthy as a chainsaw revving.

As Ivy approached the car, the two mutts halted, the fur along their hunched backs bristling. Whirling, they faced Katy's direction, glaring off somewhere behind her. Their black lips pulled back to reveal sharp rows of yellow teeth. Growling viciously, they plunged into a frenzy of howls; barely able to contain themselves from whatever was causing such a riot.

"Harley! Shut up those stupid beasts!" Poison Ivy huffed, her back facing the two struggling animals. The blonde had her hands placed firmly over the scruffs of both hyenas, unsuccessfully attempting to pull them out of their fits.

A sense of foreboding dropping in her stomach like a stone, Katy tensed, slowly creeping around the pair of snarling hyenas. Their rage (thankfully) hadn't been directed at her, they glowered through the swinging zoo gates, preparing for a fight. What could have them so riled up? Flexing her fingers, Katy side stepped to stand beside Harley, who was silently cursing under her breath, struggling to maintain a grip on her two rampaging pets.

"What are they barking at? I don't see anything." Shoving aside the locks of black hair that had escaped her ponytail in some point of the night, Katy squinted, her eyes stinging to gather any little bit of light around. Nothing. Just the silhouettes of cages and animals.

Growling in frustration, Harley cast her arms over the two mongrel's necks, trapping them both in a headlock that choked their barking to a stop.

"Gosh, I don't know. Babies! Be quieeeet so I can take you ho—" She flinched, head snapping up to the darkness that shrouded every inch of the dimly brightened zoo grounds. "Aww Bats…"

Almost as soon as Harley had finished her deflated warning, pair of bolas shot from the shadows, slamming into Katy with enough force to have her perform a mighty tumble backwards. The heavy lead balls clanked into each other, securing the tight cord around her slim body like a hungry anaconda. "Hey!" She protested frantically, flexing her restricted limbs. The cord barely budged, digging sharply into her suit. The hyenas were released, stampeding over the fallen girl to rush underneath the arch of the zoo entrance, laughing. Perched on top were two peculiarly shaped bat figures.

"Agh! Now we have a couple rats with wings to deal with!" Harley stomped her foot on the ground, glancing over her shoulder with frantic hand motions directed at Ivy. The redhead leaned into her car's cab, lifting a large clamp purse, which she tossed to the blonde.

"Harley, Ivy, don't make this difficult. Just return to Arkham quietly. It's bad enough you drug Ms. Grey into this." A gravelly, husky voice commanded. Wriggling in her exposed state on the sidewalk, Katy managed to glare in its direction, watching bitterly as his intimidating build swooped onto ground level. A smaller, more feminine figure vaulted to the ground beside him, both hands on her hips. An aura of smugness and confidence covered her. Katy hated her already.

Harley pulled free a ridiculous looking novelty gun from her bag, letting the purse drop at her feet. She pointed its large barrel at Batman, grinning. "I think I'll have to pass, Batsy, but you're welcome to take the rookie!" Bursting into laughter, the clown rocketed her foot into the small of Katy's back, rolling her forward. Her spine arching in response to the explosion of pain the kick caused, Katy released a strangled shriek. Her ponytail flopped onto the side of her neck; the cement felt cold pressed to her cheek.

"Yes, darling, I'm afraid we'll need a little distraction to get out this scrape." Ivy's silky voice breathed with little remorse. The earth trembled, an eruption of crumbled road and dirt sprayed over Katy. Batman lunged forward, Batgirl stooped to Katy's level, preparing to secure a set of handcuffs on her already clenched hands.

In the corner of her eye, she caught the Bat being tossed aside like a ragdoll, several thick vines snaking in pursuit. His back clashed painfully with the brick wall, although he quickly regained himself to duck beneath the powerful vine that sank into the brick like clay.

_You have more important things to worry about! _Grimacing, Katy managed to slide her thin arms off from her sides, tucking them underneath her stomach to avoid any further problems to wiggle out of. Batgirl _tsked_, obviously not expecting the teenage girl wrapped in industrial bat-cords to be replaced by a very angry, thundering black panther. The ropes suffocated the wry muscles of the panther's body, straining to keep her contained. Thrashing her freed hind legs, the big cat handled her bulky body into slipping free of several loops. Her right front leg escaping the cords, Katy flashed an outstretched, massive paw at Batgirl. Yelping, the Bat Brat surged away, fiddling with some pocket on her neon yellow belt to pull free a batarang.

"This got a bit more interesting." She commented, surprise being overtaken by yet another confident little smile. Panther Katy growled in defiance, standing on four legs with the bat cable dangling from her lithe body. The lead balls ground on the paved sidewalk when she prowled diagonally toward the batarang-wielding Batgirl.

Off to the side of their little skirmish, the hyenas laughed in circles around Batman, snapping at his ankles and sinking their ragged teeth into his legs. They relented when Harley's shrill voice called them to Ivy's car. With a satisfying _oof_ from Batman, he was tossed aside for the second time, taking a couple more moments to recover. By the time the big Bat had made it to his feet, Harley, Ivy, and those disgusting slobbering hyenas were piled in the car, disappearing down the road. The only evidence of their time there was a gaping hole in the center of the parking lot, teeming with retreating tree-thick vines.

_Oh. I'm doomed! I can't fight them both! Should've figured they'd ditch me sooner or later. _Stopping mid-step, Katy turned her haunches to backtrack away from the two advancing Bats.

"Please Katy; I don't want to hurt you. Just come back to Arkham." Batman soothed with that rusty deep voice of his.

_Aw what the heck? I don't have the brawn or skills… but I do have the brain…_ Deft panther ears flipping backwards against her skull, Katy met his gaze however she could. The white slits of his cowl's eye sockets narrowed. Dipping her head in defeat, she began to return to her native self, allowing the loosened bolas cords to form a pile at her feet.

"Should've guessed they'd double cross me, just didn't know when." Forcing a painfully small and sincere smile, Katy spread her hands forward, holding her wrists together.

"It _was_ pretty stupid to trust them," Batgirl commented, holstering the weapon she held, strawberry red hair waving. Receiving a short withering glare from Katy, she jerked her shoulders dismally. "Just sayin'."

_Gotta get this right. He's Batman, one tiny screw up and you'll be flat on your ass._ Batman approached her, holding a pair of tinkling, curved handcuffs. Adrenaline building in her veins, Katy was forced to tilt her chin up to shoot daggers into the Bat's face. Was she really thinking about doing this? He was incredibly fit; his muscles were nicely defined by the tight armor of his bat suit. The only exposed part of him was that square jaw, the one she was planning to slam her foot into like a sack of bricks.

Time dipped into slow motion, or least it felt like it. The Bat leaned forward to latch the cuffs, Katy hopped back. Balancing all her weight into her weaker leg, she raised her more dominant one, delivering a spin kick to the naked area of the Bat's face. Grunting, he stumbled a couple steps, clutching the tender area spreading like wildfire across his jaw. The cuffs clanked to the cement.

"This is usually when I say something sarcastic… but… ah!" Yelping, Katy barley dodged the precise punch Batgirl had thrown, aimed square for the middle of her face. The redhead prepared for another, only to swipe into empty air as Katy frantically morphed into the only animal brought to mind, the cat. Yowling, she streaked for the safety of the forest's undergrowth, winter bare branches and thorns tugging on her pelt. Batgirl dove after her, just a hair away from catching the long tail slipping along the ground behind Katy.

"Ugh! She got into the woods. How are we going to find her, she could turn into anything to hide out there!" Batgirl's voice faded along with the lights of the zoo. Katy skillfully weaved through the tangle of plants and debris, gathering the cat's compact body to sail over a fallen trunk. Against all odds, she'd escaped the two Bats. What luck! Emerging from the edge of the forest onto an empty sidewalk, Cat Katy scrambled backwards as a sleek black vehicle roared by, disturbing several fallen leaves decorating the pathway. Sinking into the cover of the forest, the cat emerged as a different woman. Literally. She was a shape changer after all.

Walking uncertainly in this whipped up look's uncomfortable high heels, a blonde woman with stormy gray eyes wandered silently toward the central of Gotham City, heart still pounding like a drum in her chest.

* * *

**So, it's finally. Done. I don't know if I'll include Katy as a main character in my stories again, maybe next time just one about Harley and Ivy. Meh. It's taken nearly two months, and a lot of writers block. Hope you enjoyed the story!**


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